Run Happy: The Rundown on Thanksgiving with 11 Runners

Want to run happy more often? 
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You know...

• Easy-breezy miles
• All the good vibes for getting it done
• A well of encouragement & motivation you can draw on when you need it
• And the ability to appreciate the good people, stuff, and experiences in your life, even when things aren't always perfect

Here's a little secret that has nothing to do with running, that can help you...
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Be thankful. It's that simple.
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In your running life, what/who are you thankful for?

Here's what 11 members of the WeeViews community had to say...

The Rut finisher & founder of the podcast: A Runner's Mind

"I am extremely thankful this year for many different reasons. 

• Last year, I injured my knee and was unable to run for quite a while. I gained weight and was unable to train. 
• I have successfully overcome my knee injury and have lost weight and have been able to train again. 
• I am running and training again to try and finally qualify for the Boston Marathon. I am very thankful to have a healthy body.  

I am thankful for my family and friends' support in my running journey.

• They know how much running means to me, and they support my training and races. 
• I share running with my family, as my wife and children are now participating in races. 
• I feel like running has brought my family together even closer. I have also grown closer to some of my friends that are runners, because we are able to share our training, races, and journey together through conversation, even running together.  

Lastly, I am thankful for my running community.

• I have gained a lot of important advice that some of the running community has shared with me. 
• I have been able to help others by sharing my experiences. 
• I also have started a running podcast called “A Runner’s Mind” where am able to have others share their stories and experiences to the running world. 
• The running community around me is very important because I am able to connect with others in my different areas, which helps me in my own running journey.  

I have lots to be thankful for this year, but overall, I am thankful for what running truly means to me in my life."

WeeViews Content Management Specialist

"For me, running itself is an act of gratitude...

• For a healthy body
• For a strong mind, and...
• For the connection it offers to extraordinary places and people

Every time that I head out the door for a run I try to remind myself of how amazing it is that I GET to do this—even on the toughest days.
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I’m grateful for my partner (and beastly athlete) Josh, who inspires me, and for my loving family who supports my crazy passion without question.
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I’m also grateful to be a part of the welcoming and supportive WeeViews community!"

The Mailbox Runner & founder of Run Before You Fly

"In my running life I am thankful for the road and its ability to be my teacher...

• The love
• The lessons
• The listening ear
• The strength
• The friend it has been to me on some of my most difficult days have been a joy and a privilege. 

I’m thankful for my body and it’s ability to heal and function despite what I put it through. 
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Movement and running is a gift.  What a season to be thankful for it!"

Runs every single day to honor fallen heroes

"I am so thankful for so many things. 
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But most important to me is my running community and our camaraderie. 
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We get through our trainings and do hard things because we support each other.

Business owner, ultrarunner & former drug addict

"I’m so grateful to have an outlet that my body can do and my mind can get energized from.

I am grateful for a group of friends that when we meet up to run it’s always a boost to my life.

• We talk about life, kids, relationships and work. 
• It’s the best feeling knowing we have common problems and all of us are committed to being solution minded. 
• Many runs turn into productive problem solving sessions!

And when one of us has a bright idea. (Which our spouses think are silly) usually we can get others to join! Like 100 milers or a group run around Mt. Hood's Timberline Trail in Oregon on a 12-hour notice!"

Run streak = 2,555 days and still going...

"I've ran at least 1 mile a day for 2,555 days.
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Today [Thanksgiving Day], I will complete seven years and start on my eighth year run streak.
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I'm thankful for my wife and kids.

3x marathon finisher, dad, believer

"In my life as a runner, I am thankful for the gift that God gave me that motivated me to become a runner.
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"I'm also thankful for all of the wonderful friends I have met through running that have also motivated me to the finish line of any run and the determination to continue."

WeeViews ambassador, ultrarunner, yoga instructor

"In my running life, I am most thankful for all the people I've met through running and the relationships I've made from my early days on the track and trails until now."
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"I'm thankful for the best friends I've made through the Trail Run Tribe.
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I'm also thankful for the family support I get from my sons, who also love to run, and my husband, who's always up for a running adventure."

Ultrarunner & Barkley Marathon junkie

"I am so thankful for my Mom. 

• She’s always pushed me to run when I’ve been in the lowest places of my life. 
• She always supports me and shared her love for running even at an early age getting in runs as a busy single mom.

I am the luckiest son in the world to have my Mom and always grateful she exposed me to running. 
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I do the same for my daughter as she did for me and we all run together.

Ultrarunner & cancer survivor

"I'm thankful for my dear friend Lynette McDougal...

• She introduced me to ultrarunning. 
• My first race was the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb in Oregon, and we ran it together. 
• My first ultra was SOB 50K in Ashland, Ore., and we ran that together as well, but I finished ahead of her. 
• I paced her at the Pine to Palm 100 in Oregon, when she had major shoe issues, but still finished.
• And she paced me at IMTUF (Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival) which was my 10th hundred before turning 60. 
• I also paced her to her finish at Waldo 100K, a year after we both DNFed. 
• And she came out from Idaho to pace me at Western States Endurance Run in 2011, and she didn't let me quit."

Ultrarunner & WeeViews co-founder

In my running journey, I'm profoundly grateful for the places it has taken me and the extraordinary friendships forged through shared adventures. 

• From the remote trails of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 
• To the challenging courses of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia & Oregon
• And the upcoming Black Canyon Ultra in Arizona...

Each event has not only been a test of endurance but a celebration of community.
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Running has become my passport to connect with remarkable individuals and explore the diverse landscapes of the country.
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And in the spirit of camaraderie, let's not forget the first annual 4th of July Casey Koza Invitational Beer Mile!1